Crystal Palace: A historic but bittersweet night for Eagles

There had been fears after Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win that they would struggle to keep their talented squad together.

Eze’s departure has felt inevitable for some time but, so far, they have done well to retain the majority of the squad that brought them trophy success last season.

After Palace’s win on Thursday, chairman Steve Parish said the club had to now focus on life after Eze, and said that signings would be made.

“We have to move past it,” he told Channel 5. “Eze has been fantastic for us and we are pleased he will go on to fulfill his ambitions.

“We have to find other players to support the team and Oliver Glasner. We will bring in players, it is about finding the right players.”

Eze is unlikely to be their only star player to leave, with defender Marc Guehi in the last year of his deal and linked with a move to Liverpool.

Parish added: “If Marc wants to sign a contract then he can stay!

“It is a difficult situation. If you are in Europe the financial rules are a lot tighter than in the Premier League.

“Players leaving on a free is not ideal. We will have to look at it over the next 11 days.”

Arrivals will be key for Palace’s aspirations this season – both home and abroad – and Glasner has expressed his frustration at the lack of signings so far, and also feels his side are at risk of not getting the right replacement for Eze.

He said: “We knew that this chance [Eze would leave] is very high that this would happen, and honestly, I say it like it is, we missed the chance to replace him early enough.

“That’s completely our fault, and nobody else’s fault.”

The Eagles have been linked with Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, while Leicester City playmaker Bilal el Khannouss is a transfer target and Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis has also been touted.

With the second leg of their Conference League qualifier to come on 28 August followed by the transfer window closing four days later, it promises to be an interesting – and potentially exciting – few days ahead for the Eagles.